Castle of Glass
by Departed
Summary: Had Asami been an equalist since the very beginning, and how it would involve Korra. AU Korra/Asami
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Castle of Glass

**Rating: **T

**Pairing: **Korra/Asami

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing

**A/N: **I was lurking through the Korrasami tag on tumblr and noticed several posts mentioning equalist!Asami, so I decided to give it a shot. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this… like at all. But it was fun to write, as anything with korrasami is :) I'll be switching back and forth from the LoK fandom to Glee. I'm obsessed with Faberry too :3

* * *

It wasn't long before Korra found herself growing impatient in the last few days, particularly now, right at this moment, as she stood by the bathroom entrance and watched the scene unfold with an unimpressed arch of her brow.

"So… you hold it like this?" Bolin asked and held a blade to his chin, his lip jutting outward in contemplation. "That doesn't seem so hard!"

Mako palmed his forehead. "No. You'll cut yourself that way," he insisted, angling the blade away. "Like _this_."

"Aha!" Bolin exclaimed, enthusiastically turning towards the mirror before his features turned pensive once more. "Shouldn't my face look like that?" He pointed to the foam now coating Mako's face.

"You told me you didn't want to go with it!"

"Well, _duh. _You think I'm just going to shave this off before I can get the ladies swooning? I think not!"

The two were situated in one of the spare restrooms located on the west side of the island, right by the guest rooms. Currently the bathing room Korra normally occupied was unavailable – a certain airbender brat refused to unlock the door – and had no other choice but to cross from the northern wing of the temple for the extra facilities. _Of course _the journey proved to be futile. At this point Korra was just plain irritated, and so she cleared her throat. Loudly.

Mako flinched. Bolin squealed and turned to cover his chest, only to realize he was clad in an undershirt.

"You realize this is the boy's room," Mako informed her as he glanced over his shoulder, eyes blinking impassively from behind his foam-covered face. He turned back to the mirror to blow gently on his own blade, which glowed orange from the tip and down the edge. She made sure she could see her glare from the reflection. "Or did you get lost?"

Korra's glare intensified, not that Mako could see with his brother's bulky form in the way.

"You can see it, right?" Bolin's cheeky grin was suddenly inches from her face, a finger pointed at his chin. "Mako so happens to claim there's nothing there. I think he's just jealous."

"Uh…" Korra trailed off uncomfortably. She leaned forward and squinted, tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"

Bolin just stared at her. "I finally have proof of my bearded manliness. You can't miss it! It's right here, see?"

Korra frowned. "I don't see anything."

At this, Bolin flailed his arms up. "You people are unbelievable!" He trudged off to the mirror with his shoulders slumped.

Korra tossed him a sympathetic look before regarding Mako coolly.

"Shouldn't you be at breakfast?" she asked.

"Shouldn't you?" he said. His gaze didn't waver from his reflection as he carefully slid the pointed end of his blade down a soapy cheek.

"I slept in late," Korra replied and pressed her back against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Tenzin said it was okay. You know. Avatar stuff."

"So did we," was Mako's reply. This time he met Korra's eyes through the mirror. "You know. Sidekick stuff."

Korra clenched her teeth as she gritted out, "_Right. _'Sidekick' stuff."

Bolin poked his head out from the side before letting out a hesitant laugh. "Come on, guys," he said, a little too brightly. He wrapped an arm around Korra's shoulders and dragged her forth, using his other arm to encircle his stern-looking brother as he pulled them both in close. "We're the new team avatar! Can't we just spread the love?"

Korra jerked away from his hold. "Oh, I'll be spreading it alright."

Raising a hand to the back of his neck, Bolin asked, "No offense, Korra… but what a_re _you doing here?" before tossing her a nervous smile and adding, "Not that we don't appreciate everything you've done, with the freaky masked dude and the arena and you letting us stay here. Because that's what awesome friends do. And that's what you are. An awesome friend." Suddenly a lump of orange fur crawled up over his shoulder. Bolin answered with a grin. "Pabu agrees. Right, boy?"

Korra rolled her eyes. "Still waiting on that apology," she tossed over to Mako, frowning. She couldn't stop the blush from heating over her cheeks. "And I… erm, need to use the bathroom."

"Can't you use your own?"

"It's taken!"

"Well then you can wait," Mako said. "What exactly should I be apologizing for?"

Korra huffed. "You know exactly what. Admit it. _I _was right. _You _were wrong."

"What are we talking about?" said Bolin.

"Hiroshi Sato," answered Korra, not without sending Mako a pointed look. "Tenzin told me they found a tunnel under his mansion last night. He's been helping Amon build weapons this whole time."

Bolin's mouth dropped to a perfect 'o' shape. Mako looked unimpressed.

"Well?" Korra urged impatiently.

"Well what?" Mako said. "You're kind of distracting me here."

Korra's hands hardened into fists as she turned on her heel and growled, "Fine! Be a jerk then. I'll find somewhere else to go."

She faintly heard Mako's 'Should've done that in the first place' before she quickly whirled her arm toward the shower area. Water spiraled upward and splashed behind her. She didn't turn around, but the answering _'Eep!' _from Bolinhad her believe she may have missed her target.

* * *

"Those are moon peaches," Ikki pointed out, gesturing towards the plate of fruit Korra was critically eyeing. "Mommy likes to grow them out during the summer. Oh! And those are fruit pies!"

"An airbender delicacy," said Jinora.

"We can't have them until tonight, though, after dinner. Mommy says so."

Korra glanced at the various desert filled plates sitting on the kitchen counter, then towards the smallest airbender currently stuffing his face with what looked like one of the fruit pies. "I guess that's not stopping him, huh?"

Ikki gave the boy a disapproving look, to which Meelo paused on, then continued eating.

"He always does that," she explained, and reached over the table for a banana. "Don't worry. He'll just get sick and throw up again like he did last time."

"He had too much chili," Jinora elaborated. "He wouldn't stop vomiting for at least two hours."

"It was gross."

"Mom's not going to be happy about that," Jinora declared, imitating her sister's disapproving frown as she loomed over the book in her lap.

Ikki let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll go find her," she said and pried the pastry from Meelo's hands, causing a whimper to fill his throat and his eyes to water. "Come on, Meelo."

"Kidnapped! Help, I'm being kidnapped!" Meelo shouted. "Unhand me evil thief."

"Shut up."

It took a bit of effort, but finally Ikki managed to grasp both of his hands behind his back and drag him out of the kitchen in a whoosh of air. Korra stared after them in amusement.

"Where is Pema anyway?" she asked, turning to her only remaining companion.

"She's with daddy," said Jinora. Her gaze stayed pinned to her book as she clarified, "They were arguing about dinner this morning. That's what all the food is for. Dad's not too keen on having Councilman Tarrlock over."

Korra's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Tarrlock?"

"And the rest of the council members," Jinora said, peering up from her lap. "Didn't he tell you?"

Cold dread swept over Korra as she numbly replied, "No. I guess he didn't."

Just then Bolin strode in, along with Mako and, surprisingly enough, Tenzin. Korra avoided both of their gazes.

"_Food_!" Bolin cried out, and in a flash was at the table, filling a plate up with a sample of everything. "Oh sweet, wonderful world. Look Pabu. You see this? Moon peaches!"

"You can't have that," Jinora interjected knowingly. "That's for dinner."

At this, Bolin's face fell, his plate hanging loosely from his hand. "Huh?"

"Shocking, isn't it?" Korra added, regarding Tenzin carefully as he seated himself. "Who knew we'd be fraternizing with the enemy over a feast? I certainly didn't."

Bolin looked from his plate, to Tenzin, and then to Korra before claiming, "I don't get it."

"Wait, what enemy?" Mako asked. He seemed to be calmer now and less scruffy now that he had washed up. Korra looked away with a scowl.

Tenzin sighed from across the table and ran a hand down the bald skin of his head, sending Korra what she assumed was an apologetic look. She refrained from marching out in a huff as he explained, "I invited Tarrlock to join us for dinner tonight."

The collective gasp around the room was enough to let Korra know she wasn't the only one not clued in.

"As well as the other council members. He insisted that we discuss last night's happenings through… a formal affair," he finished, nodding towards Korra, who seemed to be the most affected of them all.

"You can't be serious," Mako proclaimed, and straightened his shoulders with a submissive, "Sorry… sir."

"Well. That's lame," Bolin said. "Almost as lame as not having any of this delicious turkey duck."

"You can have some of the custard," Jinora offered.

"Sweet!"

"I don't understand," Korra added after several seconds, shaking her head. "What happened last night? And why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I didn't want to worry you with something so trivial," Tenzin answered. He stroked his beard in thought.

"What happened?" Korra asked again, to which Tenzin sighed and an expression unfamiliar to Korra settled over his face.

"Chief Biefong sent a troop of her metalbenders to infiltrate the mansion. They were captured soon after discovering the underground tunnel the Satos were using to build weapons in preparation for Amon's arm force."

"Satos?" Bolin said mid-bite. "You mean there's more than one?"

Tenzin nodded. "Hiroshi Sato was arrested early this morning. His daughter, however, cannot be found. She's believed to be of the equalist movement as well."

"I didn't know he had children," Mako said.

There was a flutter of movement, and Korra stared at the file of papers Tenzin was holding out to her before curiosity won over. Spreading the sheets apart, she noticed it was the city's newspaper; the most recent copy. Hiroshi Sato's photo was plastered over the front page beneath the large, black print entitled, _Sato Industry Down. Equalist Movement Not Far Behind._

In the far corner of the page, however, there was another photo, one of a young girl around Korra's age. Her pale skin contrasted greatly to her raven colored hair, even more so with the black and white shade used to print.

"She's very," Korra peered at the angular but seemingly perfect features of the girl's face. "…Pretty."

"Let me see!" Bolin insisted and snatched the paper before Korra could protest. She frowned.

"Pretty? Are you kidding me? This girl's _gorgeous_!" was Bolin's immediate response. He had a little bit of drool hanging from his lip as he studied the picture just as carefully, if not more so (definitely more), than Korra did. "Hey, do you think I have a shot with her?"

It was Mako's turn to seize the paper. "She's an equalist, Bolin. Don't bother." His eyes narrowed in on the words as he read out, "Asami Sato… Huh. She is good looking."

"Now that we can all settle on how _good looking _she is," Korra interjected roughly, sparing Mako a single cold glare. "What does this mean for us?"

"What it means," Tenzin trailed off sternly. He made sure to make eye contact with Korra as he announced, "Is we wait it out and discuss the issue before diving headfirst into anything. Hopefully we will have a plan of action to look into by the course of the night."

Korra's lips pursed in suspicion. "When you say we…"

"I mean myself as well as the other council members," Tenzin answered after a brief moment of hesitation.

All five of the room's occupants settled into a rather uncomfortable silence, four of which looked on as the avatar parted her lips, closed them, and it was almost amazing how quick her face managed to shift from her tanned skin tone to an unusual shade of red.

Fists slammed against the tabletop. "That's not fair," Korra growled, directing her stony glower towards Tenzin.

Tenzin seemed to be expecting this. "Right now your main priority is practicing your airbending, Korra," he explained calmly. "Amon is not your concern."

"How can you say that?" she all but shouted. "Practicing _is_ allI've been doing, and where has that been getting me? _Nowhere_, Tenzin! And you're just going to make me stand around while he takes my bending away?"

"I won't let that happen," he said.

"Even _you _can't stop him."

There was another brief moment of silence, one in which Jinora continued to flip through the pages of her book distractedly, Korra and Tenzin engaged in a staring contest, and Mako watched on in a nervous tension.

It was Bolin who eventually broke the stillness. "So…" he began hesitantly. "How 'bout that turkey duck?"

"_What _is going on here?" a voice interrupted. Korra snapped her eyes to the kitchen entrance, where Pema had just stepped through, along with the two youngest airbenders flanked at her sides. "I heard shouting. Why is it that I can never have a moment's peace in this house?"

Korra was distantly aware of her feet carrying her from the table. "I'm sorry, Pema," she told the older woman, her tone coated in sincerity. "We were just talking about all the hard work you put into the dinner tonight. I'm sure our _guests_," she hissed the last word through a glance over her shoulder, "will appreciate it."

With that said, she breezed out of the room, leaving behind several pairs of perplexed eyes to stare after her.

"You know," Bolin offered while sneaking a forkful of meat into his mouth. "She's getting really good at that storming out thing."

* * *

Dusk was approaching in a light drizzle by the time Korra made it off the island, intent on going in and out of the market store before nightfall.

She hadn't expected it to start raining when she agreed to purchase the missing ingredients to Pema's vegetable noodle soup, but she was still frustrated, and any opportunity to escape the suffocating confines of the air temple would gladly be taken. She realized a little too late that the cool breeze, mixed in with water and wet clothes, didn't do much to improve her current mood. If anything it seemed to worsen it, and now she couldn't turn back. Not when she had given Pema her word. It was just a bit ironic that she happened to forget the noodles in a _noodle soup._

Korra sighed and gripped the fur of Naga's neck a little tighter, resting her face tiredly into the polar dog's back. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately and it was beginning to show. Any longer with the nightmares she'd been having would eventually reach a disastrous end, and at that point, she would be at a complete loss with what to do.

Charging forth throughout the day in a mindless, tired daze was, at the moment, her main problem. But what will happen when it'd start to affect her bending, too?

The sky was beginning to grow darker by the minute, the breeze slicing through her as Naga's long strides swept through the inner city. "Right here, girl," she murmured and pulled gently on the creature's fur, causing her to halt at a corner just around the market place.

She climbed off and gave Naga a comforting pat.

"I know you want to come, too," Korra said gently as the polar dog let out a disappointed whimper. "But they'll kick us both out if they see you again. Just stay here until I get back. I won't take long, I promise."

With one final pat, Korra rounded the corner and made her way across the street and down the length of the sidewalk. She reached a nearby stand of vegetables and glanced over at the trader, nodding towards the cabbages.

"How much for a cabbage?" she asked.

His expression remained bored as he answered, "Three yuans."

Korra jerked back in surprise. "Three? That's a rip off!"

The man only shrugged. "A guy's gotta do something to survive the streets, sweetheart. Take it or leave it."

Korra squared her shoulders, mouth ready to throw an insult at the man's complete lack of judgment to overprice his vegetables _and _call her sweetheart to her face, just as she noticed the two figures down the street from where she stood. It was too dark to clearly make out the forms, but one was very obviously female, while the other – presumably a male – hovered over her in a rather invasive fashion.

"I'll be right back," Korra offered offhandedly, not bothering to acknowledge the merchant's reaction as she slowly crept along the sidewalk, observing the scene unfold from a distance.

The woman seemed to be dodging the larger form's attempts at interplay, instead stepping aside him every time he fell in line with her stride. She appeared more annoyed than anything else, yet at the point the man grabbed onto her forearm and tugged her forward, Korra broke out of her daze and sprinted into action.

"Hey!" she yelled, catching the attention of them both. "Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?" She skidded to a stop just a few feet away, meeting the man's straggly face.

His hair was unkempt and rather greasy, his face covered in a level of grime that matched his torn up clothing. He had a mustache running over his upper lip and down the length of his chin, and several missing teeth as he turned to sneer at her. Overall he seemed harmless. Well, harmless to Korra anyway.

"What's it to ya?" he jeered, leering at her with eager eyes.

Korra shivered at the intrusion, feeling her hands curl into fists and the ends of her knuckles heating up in swirls of fire. "You really wanna know?" she asked; her tone held a threatening edge to it.

The man peeled back. His gaze darted over to the flames flickering ominously over her hands, then back to Korra's face, which had scrunched up as she studied him like an insect under the sole of her shoe. He took a step back, hesitated, and then proceeded to run until his figure faded and disappeared behind a building. Korra watched him go before turning her attention to the female, who had turned her back and was now walking hurriedly away.

"Hey, wait!" Korra called out, and scrambled after the retreating form. She placed a gentle hand over the girl's shoulder, halting her. "Are you okay? That guy didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I'm fine," came the strangled response. Korra's brows shot up in confusion. "I didn't need your help."

Korra removed her hand and scoffed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, well, could've fooled me." She narrowed her eyes in on the side of the woman's face, framed by a curtain of thick, dark hair. "Is that all you're gonna say?"

When the woman didn't respond, but instead sauntered away, Korra clenched her teeth. "Will you stop that?" she growled out, marching over to her side. "Hey! I'm talking to you. The least you could do is thank me!"

She didn't mean to put so much force into her grip, but when she did, it came with a bit of surprise that she tugged hard enough to get a better view of the woman's face, which shone with clarity beneath the streetlight and familiarity sunk in just moments later.

"You…" Korra dropped her arm, eyes wide. "You… I _know _you," she said. "Your picture – You're Hiroshi Sato's da –"

_Wham_.

A sharp pain rolled over her stomach where the woman's leg connected, the force of the blow stealing the air from her lungs and sending Korra flat on the ground. It took several seconds to realize what had just happened before she ignored the sting in her abdomen and sprung to her feet, charging after the withdrawing figure. The ground rippled beneath her feet, and Korra thrust her arms out, causing boulders to shoot up at odd intervals until one sprung at the right moment, the Sato girl narrowly missing it by pushing her weight over it and flipping over back on her feet.

Korra lunged; the air around her erupted into a circle of fire, dancing wildly around her fingertips as she shot round after round of yellow flame in the other girl's direction, who managed to dodge and dance around Korra's advances. Korra ducked just in time for a fist to skid over her head, and she skipped over to the side, kicking a leg up, only for the woman to avoid the resulting piece of stone flying her way.

"You're not getting away this time!" Korra summoned streaks of fire between the lengths of her arms, sending them over her head. The walls of the buildings around them burst into flame. She ignored it in favor of punching the air, and cringed when she felt another hit to the stomach, spinning backwards and landing a blow of her own; right on the shoulder.

Korra crouched low, breathing heavily as she grabbed for her side. It was still sore. _Really _sore. But she didn't have time to acknowledge it further before a shadow cloaked her vision, and she leaped high, a trail of rock and fire springing upwards. The woman followed suit with a flash of raven-dark hair and quick, spiraling traces of fists. Korra growled; she's had enough of this.

"Is that all you got?" Korra mocked once she was at a safe ten or so feet away. Her arms brimmed from the heat of the flames whirling from her hands and she lunged forward once more, narrowly missing a hit to her chest and she ducked, grabbing the hand and knocking the other girl backwards. Korra stooped low and shoved her against the wall. She held a flaming hand towards the woman's face and stared ominously into a pair of emerald eyes; eyes that seemed to shimmer gently underneath the fire.

"Well?" the girl – Korra couldn't for the life of her remember her name – said. Her stony expression met Korra's with a tight lipped frown. "What're you waiting for?"

Korra lowered her hand in confusion.

"Go ahead and do it."

Korra jolted back, and the fire blazing from her palm dimmed until it disappeared completely. Her forehead creased upward as she studied the girl's face and said, "I hope you're joking."

A smile snuck its way over the woman's lips. "I guess they were right about you," she admitted thoughtfully. "The others never seem to have the guts to finish the job. I thought you'd be different, though."

Korra's nostrils flared. "What would be the point of killing you on the spot?" she snapped.

"It'd make your job easier."

Korra tensed. "_Look_," she bit out. "I don't know who you think you are –"

"Asami," the woman – Asami – answered. "Asami Sato."

"Whatever." Korra rolled her eyes. "You can tell that to the council. So we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. Take your pick."

Something flashed over Asami's features – something unfamiliar to Korra that caused her spine to straighten and shiver. "I don't think it's really my decision."

Before Korra could ponder the words, a sickening, electrifying pain erupted through her, coursing down the length of her body in a convulsion and sending her mind into oblivion. She gritted her teeth hard against each other, clenching her eyes shut, and let out a piercing scream as she fell to her knees and landed on the ground like a ragdoll.

Eventually the pain subsided to a dull but noticeable ache, and she was distantly aware of the footsteps surrounding her head.

"What should we do with her?" she heard someone say. Her thoughts clouded over to a mindless sputtering.

"Take her to Amon. It's earlier than we planned, but I think he'll be pleased."

Someone wretched her to her feet. She toppled over. "Plez…" Korra said in a tired murmur. She could feel herself succumbing to her fatigue as a black hood descended over her face.

* * *

Continue?


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Castle of Glass

**Rating: **T

**Pairing: **Asami/Korra

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing

**A/N: **Thanks so much for the reviews you guys! I appreciate every single one of them; they really help me when I'm writing. So thank you.

I'm not too sure how I feel about this chapter. I was all into it while I was writing, but after reading through it… I dunno. Let me know what you guys think.

* * *

The prison she was held in was just as she had imagined, possibly worst. There was no sunlight filtering in through the windows, as there weren't any, and the walls were made of metal. It was when she first noticed this that she wished she had had the opportunity to learn how to metalbend. After all the effort she put into airbending, the idea never quite entered her mind.

She could hear soft footsteps echoing in the distance, and words like _Avatar _and _equalized _repeated over and over in her ears. It was starting to get to her. And it might have if she just wasn't _so _tired. Her limbs felt like jelly every time she shifted or tried to move them. So she didn't. It wasn't like any form of bending could aid in her escape any time soon.

The temperature seemed to drop every hour or two, or however time was measured, and the shivers that had once coursed through her frame faded into numbness. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. In any normal scenario, she would simply snap her fingers and a fire would form. It was what she did to find comfort in the freezing temperature drops back home. But now it was like she was physically incapable of bending even the smallest flame. It was nerve-wracking and terrifying at the same time, and through it all she couldn't find the willpower to really care.

She heard the voices getting closer, louder and clearer as though they were being whispered right into her ear. Her groggy eyes opened in panic, thinking there was someone standing over her, but her vision blurred. There was no one in the room with her, though she wished she hadn't checked at all. The walls seemed to be enclosing in around her.

"Ha…" Korra swallowed, feeling her throat close up through the attempt to speak. She tightened her chest a little. "Hey!"

The voices stopped. She bobbed her head in her efforts to look up, but gave up after the third try. The sound of boots on dirt rung into the cell, and she was able to make out the near imperceptible shape of a man standing behind the bars.

"Ader," Korra rasped. She inwardly cringed at the sound of her voice.

Something clanged against the bars of her cell. The noise brought forth a leap in her stomach. She felt it against the cold ground and down her side.

"What's that?" a man's voice said. Laughter erupted around her and Korra felt the goosebumps along her arm rise even higher. "Speak up. I ain't got all day."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Sedated her, of course. A wild thing she is."

Korra clenched her eyes shut. "Wahe," she tried again, licking her lips a little. "Waher."

Another voice turned up nearby. "I think she's saying water."

"Well that's too bad. After that little stunt she pulled, she best be starving the next few days."

"Sir…"

"Notify the lieutenant of her whereabouts. She is not to be approached under any circumstances – some alone time might do her some good."

"But –"

"_No buts. _Now get out of my sight!"

Several footsteps receded into the dim hallway, along with any sign of life within Korra's radius. But she could tell she still wasn't alone. Her sixth sense – which usually caused her spine to tingle uncomfortably – reacted and was confirmed when she heard the light scuffling against the floor. What sounded like keys jingled against the lock, the cell door slid open, then closed, and finally she felt the presence beside her as clearly as if she were underwater.

It was suffocating.

"You know," a man said – the one with the deep, throaty laughter. Korra could feel his hot breath against her face as he knelt beside her. "You're prettier in person."

Korra tensed.

"The all mighty _Avatar_… Master of all four elements, bringing peace and balance to the world," he began quietly. "Now look at you. Lying here, defenseless. Begging for w_ater_." His voice suddenly held a husky edge to it, and Korra's eyes widened when she felt a hand on her arm, gliding softly – _painfully –_ down her waist. "Such a shame it would be if someone took advantage."

The words screamed at Korra with the intensity of a thousand roaring bison. Blood rushed to her ears, an echo to the rhythm of her heartbeat pounding against her ribcage. As heat surged through her veins, the unmistakable sensation of fire twisted and uncoiled itself through her breath.

"Argh! You little wench!" the voice cried out. Korra felt a sharp sting from where his hand met her cheek.

She was all too aware of his proximity as he breathed into her ear. "You think because you got it all, you can burn people when you feel like it?" he hissed tersely. She was met with a fist wrenching into her hair. "Is that it?"

Korra gritted her teeth, staring back at him defiantly. It was too dark to distinguish his facial features, but she could tell he was angry judging by the harsh furrow right above his eyes. Now if only she could move…

"Well you got another thing coming," he snarled, releasing his grip. "See what you can do when you're out cold."

All too soon Korra felt a light prick in her neck, and the words 'out cold' took on a whole new meaning. Her eyes widened in realization as she felt her mind cloud over and darken, and her limbs grew numb again.

_Oh no_, said a voice in her mind that sounded panicked. She couldn't halt the image of that large, rough hand stroking her side.

Before she could conjure the energy to fight off the heaviness weighing in on her eyes, she was swept away into oblivion.

* * *

When Korra awoke again, it was through a lurching stomach and a mouth so dry it might as well have been sandpaper. She lifted herself up with wobbly arms and placed the pressure on her knees, breathing harshly into the cold air. Her stomach turned again. She heaved into the ground, noticing with both relief and dread that there was nothing _to_ heave, and all she was really doing was coughing against the harsh tightness in her throat.

What did that mean, if she had eaten just hours before having been captured? Had it been hours? _Days_?

Sniffing the air, she could definitely make out the faint scent of urine. The humiliation at this prospect radiated in waves.

But it was nothing compared to the fear gripping her chest and causing the nausea to roll over tenfold. She felt dirty, and not just in the physical sense either. If she had been knocked out for however length of time, what about the in-between? What had happened from _then _to _now_?

The memory of those needle-like hands resurfaced and this time she _did _throw up. Her body convulsed and shook as she disposed of the remnants of her stomach, at which point her arms surrendered beneath her. She groaned.

"Want some water?"

Korra jerked back in a sitting position, hands finding the wall as she searched for the source of the voice. She found it when her eyes settled on the dark silhouette settled behind the bars. Its outline was distinctly familiar. And though she was still shadowed by darkness, there was enough light filtering in from the opposite wall to distinguish the details far more clearly.

"_You_," Korra found herself saying. Her voice sounded croaky even to her, but she didn't pay it any mind. She leveled her gaze on the woman from the alleyway – Asami Sato, Korra recalled – and supported it with accusing eyes.

"Hello again," Asami greeted.

Korra curled her lip down into a half-hearted scowl and winced once it occurred to her that had just emptied out her stomach in someone else's presence. Granted, she couldn't care less about this Asami girl's opinion and her apparently _rich _upbringing. Yet it still bugged Korra. She felt positively filthy.

"What do you want?" Korra asked tiredly. She rested her head against the cold metal wall. "Here to gloat?"

Asami arched an eyebrow at her. "Not at all."

"Then _what_?" Korra snapped. She wasn't in the mood for any useless chitchat, and especially not for conflict. She couldn't afford to take the bait just yet. She needed to regain her drive first before succumbing to her anger and blasting out of this hellhole. Doing it too early _– _and then to _fail _– would more than likely mean another period of unconsciousness.

Asami's expression remained impassive as she said, "I was asking if you wanted some water."

Korra blinked owlishly from the floor before redirecting her gaze towards the bowl sitting by Asami's feet, right in front of the bars. She then lifted her head up suspiciously.

"It's not poisoned," Asami promised, raising a gloved hand to her chest. "It'd be kind of pointless to kill you now, wouldn't it?"

Korra sat rock-still against the wall, reluctant on moving in any way in case this was a trick. Because it _had _to be. There was no reason for her to be here, except to bait Korra and eventually hand her over to Amon. But _damn it_… she was so, _so _thirsty.

Korra eyed the bowl with parted lips. As if sensing her deliberation, a foot pushed the bowl further through the bars, and eventually Korra gave in. She hesitantly crawled over to the other side and raised the bowl to her mouth after studying it for several moments. Deciding that it didn't look hazardous, she downed it up.

Asami watched as Korra placed the now empty bowl on the floor, licking her lips. "Feeling better?"

Korra tightened her jaw, but reluctantly nodded. Her tongue didn't feel like it was glued to the roof of her mouth anymore.

"Why?"

Asami looked at her quizzically. "Why what?"

"Why are being so –" Korra trailed off thoughtfully. _Nice _wasn't the right word. Considering her current circumstances, it was anything _but_. "You knock me unconscious, imprison me, and _now _–"

"For the record," Asami added in. "You attacked me first."

Korra faltered with her thoughts, lurching back. "Because you're a _criminal_!"

"Says who?"

"Everyone!" Korra exclaimed, before quickly correcting herself. "Moral conduct. The law. Ever heard of that?"

The smile gracing Asami's lips was small and knowing, and it almost sent a shiver down Korra's back. But she held her head and stood tall, or at least, as tall as she was able to while sprawled against the cool, murky floor.

"You people and your rulebooks," Asami murmured, more to herself than to Korra.

Korra frowned. "People?" she said. "You mean benders?"

"If that's what you want to call them."

Korra's throat itched with an approaching growl. Her eyes flickered over to the empty bowl and she suddenly wished she hadn't downed the entire thing in one gulp. "What do you mean?" she asked in spite of it. She was tired again, and hungry _– famished _– but most of all curious. If she was going to escape any time soon, she'd make sure it'd be with answers.

At this, Asami seemed to move a bit closer as she leaned forward in her chair. "Tell me, Korra," she said, and it was the first time Korra heard the woman say her name. It was more than a little unnerving. "You, like most everyone else in this city, follow a set of laws that were supposed to settle the dispute between all the 'benders'… and then the non-benders. And yet here we are. People just accept it without question. And you're no different apparently. Who's to say those laws weren't made up by some power hungry masochist?"

Korra's face flushed heatedly. Her mouth moved. "Those laws were formed by Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko after the hundred year war. Not _masochists_," she snapped. "And you're one to talk, Miss I'll-follow-Amon's-every-word-like-a-good-little-slave."

Asami's lips twitched in amusement. "I don't follow Amon," she admitted purposefully. "I made my own choice; I follow what I believe in. Our beliefs just happen to be one in the same."

"What you're doing is _wrong_," Korra retorted. "What gives you the right to just take people's bending away?"

"What gives them the right to treat us any differently? To flaunt what we don't have?"

"You're _playing _with humanity!"

"I don't think of it that way," Asami said.

Korra folded her arms. "It's all some big game to you, then, isn't it?"

Asami's face hardened. "You don't get it."

"No, I guess I don't," Korra agreed, pursing her lips. Her nose wrinkled in distaste as she bitterly proclaimed, "You're crazy."

Her reaction wasn't what Korra was expecting. She knew she was only adding to the fire, igniting it, and she didn't care. But when Asami only offered a nonchalant shrug to her advances, she sighed in defeat and surrendered herself to the quiet stillness. A dull ache surfaced over her belly.

"What're you _really _doing here?" Korra muttered meekly, grabbing at her stomach as it gave off a painful growl.

Asami followed the movement with indiscernible eyes. "I came to see how you were feeling."

Korra choked back a laugh. "Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "Right."

"I'm serious," Asami insisted.

"Why should I believe you?" Korra countered testily, making sure her eyes met green. "I bet you're here to spy on me, or 'calm the storm' so to speak, before Amon finishes me off."

Asami shook her head. "That's not going to happen."

Korra perked up at this. "What?"

"At least not anytime soon… Your equalization is scheduled as a public event. Right now isn't the time."

Something heavy settled over Korra's chest, constricting her ability to breathe. Her lips formed into a silent 'oh' before shaking it off and adding, "Yeah, well… you might as well tell him not to schedule it at all. My friends should be looking for me by now. I'll be out of here in no time."

Korra inwardly challenged her to say anything when Asami's eyebrows quirked up, forehead wrinkling in a disbelieving way. She didn't, though. "I'm not here to spy on you, either. From what I know, visiting hours ended a while ago."

She shot her a puzzled look, to which Asami responded, "I told you. I don't follow anyone's rules." Her eyes flickered over to Korra's rumbling stomach once more. "I would've gotten you some food too if I had known they weren't feeding you."

Korra shrugged her shoulders. "It's not your problem." She hung her head so her hair obscured both her eyes. "I don't see why you'd bother anyway."

"I have a habit of feeding the prisoners without them knowing," she explained. "They banned me from the kitchens because of it."

Korra blinked slowly. She raised her eyes until they hit the other girl and stayed there. An odd look formed over her face. "You are the worst criminal ever," she said curiously.

Oddly enough, the response was an appreciative, red-lipped smile. It confused her even more. "I try," Asami said.

"Do you always chat up your prisoners, too?"

A pause, and then –

"Only the ones I find cute," Asami replied with a wink, a strange tone to her voice. It was almost… sly. Her entire posture had changed.

It was _definitely _sly.

Korra froze. Whatever she was about to say died on her lips, and with it the sluggish weight that was gradually hindering her from reacting properly. Her eyes were wide open now, staring unseeingly into emerald eyes. The weight over her shoulders seemed to come back full-force.

Color surged across her nose and cheeks. She was fairly certain it had reached her neck, too. "W-what?" Korra stammered. She pulled back with a nervous chuckle. "Did you – are you _hitting_ on me?"

Asami's gaze never left her face as she replied, "You could say that."

"You were!" Korra exclaimed in a high pitched voice.

"Beauty has no boundaries. I like to appreciate it when I see it."

Heat crept past Korra's neck and seeped into her chest. "So… what?" she bit out. She could taste the coppery tang of her own blood from where she had accidentally clamped down on her tongue. "Do I have to worry about getting molested by you, too?"

Asami's eyes snapped up, widening ever so slightly. They seemed to darken in the process. "What are you talking about?"

Korra's fingernails curled into her palms. She could feel those hands on her again just by closing her eyes; they'd glide around her waist and slip down her thigh, the feeling of it equivalent to slime. No. _Much _worse.

Turning her head, Korra swallowed. "Nothing."

"No," Asami said. Her expression became hard and pensive. "What did you mean?"

"It's nothing," Korra growled again, eyes shooting needles in her direction. "Just go away."

Asami held her gaze. She didn't blink. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be the creator of peace," she began tersely, "you're really stubborn."

Korra chewed roughly on the inside of her cheek, taking it between her teeth as she contemplated her decision to shoot a ball of fire in the girl's direction. Or simply raise a flaming hand as a suggested threat. Brows furrowed in concentration, she lifted her arm up –

– and nothing. No heat, no flames. Not even a measly spark. And that was when she noticed the cuffs linked around her wrists.

"Extra precaution." Korra snapped wide, owlish eyes up to the source of the voice, mouth agape. "There were complaints about your tendency to… set things on fire. We couldn't take any chances."

Korra shook her head in disbelief. "How…"

"It's an invention my father's worked on for several years," Asami offered. Her voice sounded hollow. "He used a special combination of chemicals to limit bending when it seeps into your bloodstream."

Korra breathed in deeply, letting out a whish of air through flaring nostrils. A puff of smoke emerged in place of the trail of fire she ruefully anticipated.

"Do you need anything else?"

Korra looked up with a grim frown. "Just go away," she repeated softly, a contradiction to her earlier mood. She couldn't put in the frustration she actually felt. Kicking the empty bowl over until it rolled right into the bars, she muttered, "And take the stupid bowl with you."

Asami gave her a curt nod. "I'll have someone bring you down some food," she said. She kneeled down to pick up the bowl and, before departing, added, "You might want to clean yourself up." With that, she turned on her heel and left.

Korra stood on her feet for several seconds… minutes; maybe even hours. Time wasn't any use to her anymore, she realized. She looked down at her chest and took the hem of her soiled shirt between her fingers, the disgust finally registering when she glanced over at the chunky remains spread across the floor. Her nose crinkled at the strong odor.

Anger surged through her – a kind of deep and powerful rage that boiled from the very tip of her toes and up. She felt it pulsing in her blood, throbbing and grabbing her from the inside. A deep, animalistic growl vibrated against her throat as she slammed her palms hard against the metal bars.

"Let me out!" she shouted; a flicker of a flame gleamed from her fingertips. She tried again and again, pumping her fist into the air, and then into the wall just for the heck of it. When nothing seemed to work, she sunk to her knees in despair.

"Why?" Korra whispered meekly. Her voice cracked. She raised her hand up as it throbbed painfully against her side. "_Why me_?" she said to herself.

Her eyes welled up in tears, body trembling through the sharp, piercing sobs rising from her chest. Finally she gave into them as she pressed her face into her knees and cried.

* * *

Quick notice after someone mentioned it - what was written in the beginning before Korra blacked out was all that happened. There was no rape or further molestation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Castle of Glass

**Rating: **T

**Pairing: **Korra/Asami

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing

**A/N: **It's like, four in the morning here right now. I wanted to get this finished as soon as possible, so please excuse any mistakes. I'll read over it after work tomorrow… or today. Whatever it is.

Thank you guys for the reviews and alerts. They're what motivate me to keep going. So, thank you.

Now to get some sleep.

* * *

When Korra awoke the first time – though the second would be more accurate – she expected the cold, hard metal floors, and the long periods of hunger and dehydration. What she didn't expect were the questions.

_What can you tell us about General Iroh? What is his plan? Where is Hiroshi Sato being kept?_

It bewildered Korra at first. She was the enemy in the eyes of the equalists, but there were less of _them _than there were of her own people... and it just didn't make any sense. Shouldn't they already know this? Or found another way to pry the information rather than interrogate the one person who knew next to nothing about the approaching war? She had no idea where Hiroshi Sato was being kept. She assumed in the city prison like all the other equalist rebels. It never came to mind that he was being held in a more secured facility, otherwise Tarrlok would've actually been doing his job.

She had to bite her lip at one point to refrain from asking who General Iroh even was.

So she kept her answers simple and to the point: _I don't know._

And it was true, as much as she dreaded to say, as she would rather swallow her own tongue than give them honest responses _had _she been more informed. She wasn't keen on answering them at all. The first round of questioning entailed an hour of probing and several threats, and after one man held out a gloved hand spurring ominously in electricity, she gave the coy smile her best death glare and relented.

She was beginning to think she was better off keeping her lips sealed after all.

"You're making this harder for yourself," one of the men said. There were three of them compacted in the small room with her. Sometime during the night – or was it morning? – they had chained her once more and smothered her air supply with a black hood over her face. She gritted her teeth to the point where they had almost crumbled to bits when she found herself in a room more cramped and disheartening than her cell.

Korra rattled the chains around her wrists. They clanked against the ground in a loud echo, at which point she looked up from beneath her messy fringe of hair.

"I already told you. I don't know," she said.

There was a spur of movement in the back. Korra squinted against the light as one man took a step forward. "She's been staying with the airbender," came the course voice. "Who's to say she's not lying?"

Anger coiled itself into her chest. "I am not!"

A hand came up to meet her face, the tip of a thumb gliding roughly down her cheek. Her vehement attempt to wretch her face away proved to be futile.

"Oh?" said the man. A bitter smile formed over his lips. "And why should we believe you?"

Korra blinked harshly against the bright lights, otherwise keeping her gaze defiant as she looked into the eyes of the guard currently stroking her face. The urge to vomit uncurled inside her stomach once more.

"Good point," she said. "We wouldn't want to make Amon angry now, would we? You won't have the honor of kissing his sorry excuse of a –"

The same hand flew from her cheek and wrapped around her neck, squeezing. Korra choked back a gasp.

"Let's hear you finish that sentence," the guard growled softly. His sour breath brushed against her face. "No?" he said. "Let's try this one more time then. Where is Hiroshi Sato?"

The grip tightened around her throat when she didn't respond. Her eyes began to water and blur her vision as she bit out, "I… don't know."

Again, the hold tightened, and the burning ache in her lungs flared as her chest constricted painfully. This time the tears weren't from the lack of oxygen. She could already see her life flash before her eyes.

The hand lingered as the guard's face neared her own, and she mindlessly started to count the creasing, aging lines adorning the man's forehead, noticing that the act distracted her from the pain somewhat.

"You really are grating on my nerves," the guard murmured.

Korra hated herself for rising to his bait. "Ca – say the… same," she said in a choked voice.

Surprisingly enough, the hand relaxed its grip, if only barely. She took in a hungry, raspy breath through parched lips.

A laugh echoed through the cell walls. Korra's head shot up before she could realize the chains clamped around her wrists and legs were being secured against the wall.

"Take a seat, boys," the guard called out to the other two. Korra had briefly forgotten they were even there. She could feel her heart dropping by the second.

"It's going to be a long night."

* * *

The questions seemed to drift from the subject of war once they figured out she was telling the truth. She didn't know anything. Tenzin had made sure that she stayed as far away as possible from Amon's force and the city's corrupted political system. At the moment she couldn't be more grateful.

But, then again, it didn't make much of a difference as the interrogation took a more personal route.

_What is your relationship with your two probending companions? Are you close to them? When did you come to meet Chief Beifong? How do you affiliate yourself with her?_

It hit Korra square in the chest with the force of a flying bison. At first – after realizing this could easily be used against her – she was more inclined to lie, and that she did. But after the third electric shock – to which she promptly passed out on, only to wake up not five minutes later – and the unforgiving temptation for water, she relented.

It turns out they weren't very honest on their part, not that she was surprised. She didn't expect water out of this exchange. She just wanted the questioning to end, and to go back to her little cramped cell and sleep. Any more of the electric surges and she was sure her body would be rendered unconscious for the next twenty years.

Or until she was dead. The idea didn't seem so farfetched anymore.

Oddly enough, there was some form of kindness within the group of guards. It was in a man named Gan; he was short and old and had a thin coat of gray hair growing out of his balding head. Korra couldn't help but pity the poor man the first time she saw him. It was obvious he didn't want to be there, and he was far too fragile to put great amount of force into his work. He looked about ready to collapse underneath his trembling knees.

But he smiled at Korra every time he passed by; a small but genuine smile. At one point he had actually snuck a slice of bread between the bars before disappearing just as stealthily. She had devoured it in mere seconds.

The second time it was a bowl of water, and he had spoken to her briefly. What day was it? How long has it been? Were Tenzin and the others looking for her? He answered as quickly and effectively as he could before he sauntered off in a hurry. By the third, she was being fed more, so instead he supplied her with someone to talk to.

This time he brought with him both food and water. Korra almost burst into tears right then.

"Any news?" she asked softly. Her voice still cracked from her recent screams as she filled her mouth with meat and stale bread. She hadn't had the chance to sleep off the exhaustion just yet.

Gan shook his head, a frown marring his aging features. "None, Avatar Korra."

Korra frowned as well. "You don't have to call me that, you know."

"But I must."

She rolled her eyes, but kept silent as she pondered over the man's words. According to him, it had only been five days. Five whole days of endless questioning, starvation, and torture. And to her, it seemed so, _so _much longer.

There were people looking for her of course. The entire city had erupted into chaos once it was discovered that the Avatar had been captured, and it was no question by _whom_. It was a matter of _where_, as it became quite clear the prison was difficult to track. As a result, she wasn't going to be found as soon as she thought she would.

Korra nibbled on the edge of her bowl as she took a sip of water. "Couldn't you, like… clue everyone in on where I am or something?"

Gan's answering expression had her ducking her head. "Right," she muttered. "Stupid question." She raised her eyes up curiously. "So why are you here? If you're against –" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "You know. It doesn't make much sense to me."

"My brother… we are non-benders," Gan said. "He joined soon after the rising. I could not let him go on with this alone."

Korra nodded in understanding, her gaze lingering on the floor thoughtfully. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve as she said, "You're the second person to do this."

"I'm afraid I do not understand."

"This." Korra gestured between them, and then to the empty tray sitting right by her. "The… kindness. I'm not even sure if I should call it that. She gave me water, though. On that first day, even though she _attacked _me. I just don't get it."

"Miss Sato is a woman of many mysteries," Gan said. "She is the reason I am here."

Her head whipped back in surprise. "What?"

When he didn't reply, Korra slid the tray away and crawled over to the bars, staring sternly into a pair of calm, gray eyes. "Here, with me? You're telling me that she's been sending you down here to give me food this whole time?"

There was a loud _clank _resounding from down the hall. Immediately Gan was on his feet, carrying the empty tray and bowl in his hands. His expression was almost _– almost _– panicked, if he didn't have this way of keeping his features composed at all times.

He gave Korra another small smile, and tilted his torso forward into a bow. "I have much faith in you, Avatar Korra," he said. "Until next time."

* * *

They came again not too long after. Korra was awake this time, and drew back in caution as the gate opened up to reveal the same guard who had questioned her. Three others were flanked at his side.

"What should we do with her, sir?" she heard one of them ask. Korra immediately tensed upon seeing the metal chains hanging loosely from his hand.

"Take her to Jie. Get her cleaned up for her meeting with the lieutenant," the guard answered before directing narrowed eyes at Korra. His nose scrunched up in disgust. "Tell her to rinse twice while you're at it. I've never seen anything more revolting in my life."

The second man gave a curt nod, bowed, and then retreated, leaving Korra alone with the other three. She flushed ever so slightly at the insult, only to glare daggers at the guard's head. She didn't smell _that _bad.

"We meet again," the guard said, looking at Korra. He held up the rope of chain in gesture. "Perhaps we can make this as smooth of a process as the last, yes? It'll make things easier for everyone."

Korra only glared. She pushed her knees to her chest as he took a hesitant step forward, but otherwise didn't move. He took another, and then another, before he finally approached with an air of confidence. The smug smirk playing at his lips caused a churn in Korra's stomach.

"Good girl," he muttered. Judging by his wide, owlish eyes, he didn't seem to expect the fist flying at his face.

"_Argh_!"

Korra couldn't be sure whose grunt it was to echo into her ears. But her right hand stung from the impact, and her legs wobbled as she sprung up. As soon as she caught a flash of the two figures in her vision, she swung her arms hard. Pain shot through her limbs, but she ignored it in favor of gazing numbly at the whip of fire coursing from her fingers.

Two men dodged the attack; the other lunged at her from the ground. She took off.

Every inch of her body ached terribly, from the tip of her toes to her throbbing head. She barely took note of where she was even going. Her legs just took her down a dim hallway, faintly aware of the footsteps trailing after her. She turned a corner.

She flung a ball of fire over her shoulder before turning full circle and letting out a whoosh of flames. Shadows crossed over her vision, and then a door. She pumped her fist through the wooden exterior, leaving a dark, ashy opening for her to leap through. She took one look at the metal pipes over the ceiling and steered herself right.

As soon as she did, though, Korra's foot slipped over the smooth surface of the floor and she staggered, narrowly missing the wisp of electricity coasting past her face. She twirled once and ducked under a gloved arm. Lifting herself up, she skidded over another flash of blue light, flung herself around another corner and –

– promptly collided into a wall.

Only it wasn't a wall. Korra collapsed to the floor, bringing whoever it was she bumped into down with her. Her body fell over a slightly softer surface, pinning it down. Her face weaved into a mesh of dark hair.

"You know," someone said into her neck. Korra recognized the voice as Asami's. "We should really stop meeting up like this."

Footsteps sounded around them. Korra lifted her head just barely to see the ends of several boots surrounding her head. One of them nudged her side none too gently.

Her forehead hit the floor with a satisfying thud.

"Yeah," she sighed. "We should."

* * *

"They weren't kidding about you, were they?" said the woman behind her. "You're absolutely filthy!"

Korra later learned the woman's name was Jie – the Jie the guard had ordered to 'clean' her up and get her ready for her meeting with the lieutenant. What meeting, she would never know. She was far too concerned at the moment with the hard bristles scraping at her back, and the hand tugging sharply at her hair. She was currently submersed in a tub of soapy water which, in any other scenario, Korra would be eternally grateful for. But with her current circumstances – and the constant _scritch scratch _causing her to grit her teeth in both pain and shame – it wasn't up to par with her preferences.

"It'll take a tsunami to get you completely clean," Jie muttered under her breath. She dropped the brush and began running her hands through the tangled knots of Korra's hair.

Korra winced. "And whose fault is that?" she said. A particularly rough hand tugged hard at her scalp. She winced again. "I can wash myself."

"No chance of that happening, hon," Jie replied. She picked up a comb. "After that last debacle, you're under constant surveillance. It's a wonder they didn't kill you right then."

A shiver slid its way down Korra's spine. She lifted her hands up from the water's surface and observed the newly replaced cuffs encased around her wrists. They sparkled brilliantly against the light.

"Put your hands down," Jie chided sharply. "No one needs to see those blasted things."

"My hands or the cuffs?"

"Both."

Just then, the door to the washroom was flung open. Korra's initial reaction was to hurl her arms over her chest, but she lurched herself a little too far.

"Ow!" She grabbed at her head.

"Quit moving!"

"Causing more trouble, I see." Korra turned to level her glare on the approaching figure. She immediately found herself dwelling on the previous encounter just hours before; fire bursting through her fists, large, stained black boots, and velvety long hair. Korra shook her head to clear the image as Asami raised a brow at her. She shifted her gaze over to Jie. "Am I right to assume?"

"Like you wouldn't _believe_," Jie responded, raising her hands up in emphasis.

Korra inwardly scoffed and crossed her arms. She could feel the heat merging into her cheeks. "Normally when people bathe," she said. "They have a little something called 'privacy.' Not sure if you've heard."

Another tug. Korra's scowl deepened.

"You see what I mean?" Jie added. "The girl's as stubborn as a rock. Had she met my mother… oh, have mercy on us all."

The door opened again. One other person entered the room, this time a male. He didn't have on the usual suit the other guards wore, but a sort of armor most likely reserved for those higher up in rank. Korra found herself sinking further into the sea of foam and bubbles.

"Miss Sato," the man called out respectfully. He ducked his head a little. "The chef would like to know whether you will be joining in on the festivities tomorrow. A place will gladly be reserved for you."

By this point Korra's chin was submerged in water. Her face was as red as a tomato as she hissed, "_Hello_." All eyes snapped to her. "_Naked _here."

The man – Korra was going to assume he was an advisor of some sort – sputtered slightly upon noticing Korra. His face turned a bright shade of pink.

"I shall take my leave," he said quickly, leaning forward in a polite bow. He turned on his heal and retreated out of the room before he received a response, leaving behind a trail of discomfort in his wake.

Asami turned back to the two women. "I'll take it from here, Jie," she said.

The fingers meshed into Korra's hair untangled themselves as Jie stood. She rubbed her palms down her shirt.

"Be my guest!" she exclaimed, sounding oddly enthusiastic. She shoved the comb over into outstretched hands. "She's all yours, hon."

The resulting silence after Jie's departure left Korra feeling awkward and at a lost at what to say. Her backside still ached from all the scrubbing. She was almost certain it was rubbed raw until bleeding ensued. She leaned forward to wrap an arm around her backside.

"Don't touch it," she heard Asami say. Her hand stopped midway. "It might hurt a little, but Jie knows what she's doing. It's better to just leave it alone for now."

Korra could only stare as Asami made her way across the room, grabbed a towel, and took a seat where Jie had sat. Korra immediately tensed.

"Relax," Asami said softly. She pulled back a strand of hair from Korra's neck. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Korra scowled. "Funny," she murmured. "That's not what I remember."

A pause. "That last time wasn't my fault."

"Right."

"_You _fell on _me_," Asami pointed out. "The guards took it as an attack. You can't blame me for their actions."

"You could've _stopped _them," Korra growled. She closed her eyes upon remembering the after effects of her failed escape. She had been hauled up once they realized she didn't plan on moving and, as an extra precaution, was held down as she was nailed at several points in the shoulders and back. She fell limply into unknown arms.

Later they had replaced the cuffs. It would become a daily routine from now on.

"And why would I do that?"

Korra's eyes opened. She flicked her gaze over to Asami and then back to her hands. She held them securely around her chest.

"I don't know," she murmured. She suddenly had the urge to see Bolin again. He would know how to relieve the tension. He would crack a joke and she would laugh –

– …or he would gawk at her nakedness. The thought itself somehow amused her. She missed him. She missed Tenzin and Pema and the little airbender children. She missed Mako…

Her eyes clenched shut once more at the thought of him.

"I came here to talk," Asami admitted quietly. Her hands had woven into Korra's hair at some point, kneading through the knots like Jie had, only it was more careful. Gentle. Korra found herself relaxing into the touch.

"So talk," she said briskly.

A comb brushed through her hair. Asami cleared her throat. "The lieutenant wants to have you over for breakfast tomorrow."

Korra blinked. "Breakfast?" she asked slowly. She wasn't sure whether she heard right. "Is that… Is that some sort of weird equalist ritual? Are you going to eat me now?"

Asami's lip twitched. "Are you really asking me that?"

"I'm serious."

"I think that's the problem," Asami said.

Korra rolled her eyes. She felt much less at ease now that she knew what this 'meeting' entailed. Somehow when she had envisioned becoming a prisoner to Amon's forces, breakfast and a bath weren't included.

"Why?" Korra asked. She looked at her hands again; her fingers were wrinkled and looked like raisins.

"Honestly? I'm not sure," Asami answered thoughtfully. "It might just be a technique of his to make you feel at home. I wouldn't give it much thought."

"Easy for you to say," Korra muttered. "I don't see you in chains."

"I'm not a bender."

"I never would've guessed."

Korra tensed when she felt the fingers in her scalp pause, and she waited for the imminent tug or pull. But there wasn't one. The tension slowly dissipated as Asami lifted the towel and wrapped it gently around Korra's hair.

"It wouldn't hurt to be a little nicer," Asami suggested. "Common courtesy and all."

Korra bristled. "Why do you take it then?" she asked. "I've _seen_ you fight. You can easily kick anyone's butt. Even mine on a good day."

Water dripped from the ends of Korra's hair. Asami quickly patted it dry as she responded, "My father taught me how to fight." Her voice had gotten hollow. "I only use it when I have to."

Korra's next words died on her lips as she mulled over the statement, rolling her lower lip between her teeth. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Asami stood up.

"That should do," she added, holding the towel out in front of her. Lifting her hand, she gestured towards Korra to do the same.

Korra lifted her gaze for just a second before looking away. She hung her head so her hair obscured her eyes, noticing the foam was quickly dissolving.

"I won't look," Asami promised, and clenched her eyes shut as proof.

Korra sniffed. She looked at her pruney fingers one last time before she pressed herself against the bottom and lifted herself up. A large, somewhat lumpy towel was draped over her torso, patting her dry.

She grabbed the ends of the towel and pulled them over her chest. "Why did you do it?" Korra found herself asking. She shifted awkwardly from where she stood, watching as Asami's eyes fluttered open. At her questioning gaze, she elaborated, "You sent Gan for the food, didn't you?"

Her face remained impassive to the question, but Korra noticed the flicker of… _something _in her eyes. She couldn't tell exactly what, but it was enough for Korra to know she wasn't simply imagining things. It was her all along. And for the life of her, Korra couldn't understand _why_.

With a one-shoulder shrug, Asami's response was a nonchalant, "Think of it as good hospitality."

The answering look was small and brief, but it held the same intensity Korra saw in her eyes just seconds ago. She shivered lightly underneath her towel, suddenly feeling very, very vulnerable.

As though sensing her discomfort, Asami frowned tightly at the soiled clothes sitting by the tub and lifted a hand towards the door. "Let's get you something to wear."

* * *

Several guards had gathered at one point to march her to a room located in a large tunnel, through many hallways and doors that seemed to be made entirely out of metal. Not only did it unnerve Korra, but now she was certain she wasn't being taken back to her cell. So as she stared up at vaulted ceilings and never-ending, silver pipes, she decided then that she would rather suffer the dark confines of her cell than enter unfamiliar territory. The floors felt cold beneath her bare feet. She pulled her robe closer to her body as she was deposited before a large, metal door flanked by more guards.

Before she could study the interesting carvings etched over the surface, they snapped apart the chains linking her arms to her back and pushed her inside.

The room was bigger than her cell, and definitely more pleasant… in a I'm-a-prisoner-awaiting-my-execution sort of way. There was a single bed located on the far wall, a dresser on the other, and a door leading into what Korra assumed was a bathroom. She stepped forward. She noticed Asami – who had disappeared at some point after handing her the robe to change into – stood by a desk at a corner.

"That'll be all," she said, nodding towards her. Korra turned around in time to see the door close.

"There's a clean set of clothes in the drawer over there." Asami indicated towards the shabby looking dresser to the left. She met Korra's confused gaze. "There'll be another outfit for you to wear tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…" Korra trailed off dumbly.

"For breakfast," Asami clarified. "You'll need to be ready by nine. Someone will be here to come and get you."

Korra blinked. "Breakfast." She let out a sigh. "Right."

"It'll be fine."

"What would you know?"

Asami's lips pursed. Her forehead crinkled upward as she shook her head. "I'll let you get dressed," was all she said, and sauntered forward towards the door.

Korra bit the inside of her cheek roughly. "Hey," she called out, her eyes lingering on the other girl as she stopped. Korra swallowed and rocked on her toes as she murmured a hesitant, "Thanks."

The silence that proceeded afterward was almost deafening. But when Asami turned and met Korra's gaze, she smiled softly; a sort of slight, but genuine type of smile. The shiver came back. Korra pressed her arms tightly against her torso.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Asami said. She nodded once and closed the door behind her.

Korra watched her leave, her first thought being whether the door would be locked, or if she'd have another chance to escape. But then her arms fell to her sides, and she realized it wouldn't matter.

She never felt more alone.


End file.
